Engine starter



Oct. 20, 1931.

v. c. HoDGEs V 1,828,369

ENGINE STARTER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 2o. 1931. v -c; H'ODGES- 1,828,369

ENGINESTRTER i Filed oct. A24. 1.9428 2 sheets-sheet 2- M3 Jbrneys. I

Patented on.y zo, i931 Parietti'l oFFicE vEM c. noname, or Los ANGELES,cALi'ronNrA ENGINE srnn'rnn Application tiled October 1928. Serial Ilo.$4,593.

The invention relates to a starter vfor internal combustion engines inwhich the arts of the starter are constructed and com ined so as to beada ted to operate in any position without being induenced or modifiedby gravity, wherebyv such starter will operate in airplanes or othersituations in whichpthe horizontal position is not normal or isimmaterial or not maintained. v

1g Another feature of the invention is that the drive pinion is notmoved into mesh with the spur gear or rotary part of the engine by theelectric motor, but by personally actuated positive means, and whichmeans must start the electric motor the moment the starting pinionenters the rotative element of the engine t'o mesh therewith, afterwhich the starting pinion is released ,from the personally actuatedmeans so it is automatically returned to normal or disengnagd 1ositioiiafte 1c i e position i v the engine is started, in w is not affected ifthe electric motor is started accidentally; and this feature of thestarter is of great value in airplanes;

Another feature of the invention consists in the drive pinion of thestarter being carried on the free end of .an arm that is pivoted at itsother end, preferably on the armature shaft of the electric motor.Anotherfeature of the invention is that the drive pinion is moved intomesh with the spur gear or rotary part of the engine by a pedal or otherpersonally actuated means t at positively moves the arm on which-thedrive pinion is mounted.

Another feature is that the disengagement of the drive pinionffrom thespur gear or rotary part of the en 'ne is aided by a spring connectedwith sai pinion cari ing arm which is put' under tension by t e pinionmeshing movement of the arm under the positive pedal actuation thereof,and after the pinion is disenga ed the spring holds the arm and pinionout o engagement with the spur gear until the pedal is again operated.

One object of the invention is to provide an engine starter that canbe'actuated after the engine has been started without stripping theteeth from eitherpthe driven pinion or so the spur gear. That is, theenginestarter is constructed so that if accidentally actuated when theengine is running the spur gear will throw 'the pinion back into normalidle position without doing anyv damage to the mechanism.

. Another, 'object is tol provide an engine starter with arts arrangedso that the motor .for driving t e pinion can be started slightl in.advance of the meshing of the inion teet with-'the spur gear teethsothat in theevent te the points of the pinion teeth engage the pointsof the spur gear teeth when the pedal is actuated the pinion' will berotated or be' disengaged from the `points of the spur gear teeth intoposition to mesh with the spur 65 gear. To that end I provide a yieldingmeans connected with the pedal for closing an electrical switch foractuating the motor slightly in advance of the meshing of the teethofthe pinion and spur gear.

Features of invention are shown.- in the construction, c'ombinatioii andarrangement of parts. whereby an engine starter is provided that iseasy1 to construct, assemble and operate, durab tively free from noisein operation. lOther objects, advantages andfeatures o invention mayappear from the accompanymg drawings, the subjoined detailed descriptionand the appended claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.v

Fig. 1 is a side view of the enginestarter arranged to engage the ringspur ar of an engine, the engine and fly wheel being shown 85diagrammatically and Vfragmentall also showing a portion of the automobie footboard through which the pedal is extended in position to beactuated by a drivers foot.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentalsectional view on 90 line 22, Fig. 1, showing thepinion out of mesh with the ring giur gear. f

Fig. 3 is a view an ogous to Fig. 2, show- `ing by full lines the pimonmoved into mesh with the ur ear and showin b' 95, dotted lines t Sp g gy e position of the pinion and 'associated parts after the engine isstarted. v

Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section through the pivot arm and sindle on which the pinion is loosely mounte f1 e and eiiicient in use,and rela- Fig. 5 is a fragmental longitudinal sect tion analogous toFig. 4 showing the motor driving gear in mesh with the plnion.

Fig. 6 is a View analogous to Fig. 2 on .a slightly larger scale showingthe dog pivotally connected to the arm instead of to the bottom end ofthe plunger; and showing the pinion out of mesh with the rin spur gear.

Fig. 7 is a view analogous to ig. 6 Showing the pinion in mesh with thering spurA ear and the plunger disengaged from the Fig. 8 is a side viewof the dog and block with part of the arm in section to` show theyielding means for holding the dog engaged with the guide pin.

Fig. 9 is a central longitudinal section through the switch for startingthe motor and showing in side elevation a portion of the pedal andassociated parts for actuating the upper member of the switch.

Fig. 10 is a view of the dog and arm as seen from line 10-10, Fig. 8.

The engine starter includes an el ectric motor 10 that can be arrangedadjacent an engine 11, diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 1, and can besecured thereto in any well known way.

ing gear 13 is secured, and this gear is aligned, but out of mesh with arotative part of the engine, such as a ring spur gear 14, that isconnected to the engine y wheel 15. This spur gear 14 can be connecteddirectly to the engine shaft if desired, or it can be secured to theengine fly wheel as shown.

Interposed between the driving gear 13 and the housing 16 of the motor10 is an arm 17 that has one end pivotally connected to the drive shaft12, and this block carries a side spindle 18 on which a pinion 19 isrevolubly mounted and arranged in mesh with the drive gear 13. i

This pinion is 'arranged to be moved in an.

arc so that it will also mesh with the ring spur gear 14 but is normallyheld out of engagement with this ar by a spring 20 which has one endsecure to an extension 21 on the upper end of the block 17 and the otherend secured to the annular wall 22 in the centrally arranged recess 23of the housing 16.

The arm 17 has its lower end arranged between the stop pins 24, 25 thatlimit the pinion in its arc movement toward or away from the spur gear14.

The inion 19 is positively moved into mesh. with t e spur ear 14 bymeans of a dog 26 that is pivotal connected by a pin 27 to the lower endofY a plunger 28. The free end of the dog is arranged to normally engagea pin 29 on the upper side of the arm 17, and is' yieldingly held innormal position by a spring 30, one end of which is secured to thedoglaifiad the other end secured to the annular Wa These parts arearranged so that when the plunger 28 is actuated by a pedal 31 the dog26 will move the pinion in an arc to mesh with the spur gear 14 and at apredetermined moment in this movement the free end of the dog is forcedoff of the pin 29 so that the arm is free and so that the spring 2O willmove the arm and return the pinion to normal position after the enginehas started. The tension of spring 20 is caused by the operation of thepedal in changing the position of the arm 17.

Slightly in advance of the full meshing of the pinion with the spur gearthe pedal also closes an electrical circuit to start the electric motor10 by depressing and engaging the spring contact 32 with the contact 133and when the motor is driven the drive gear 13 will he rotated to holdthe pinion 19 in mesh with the spur gear 14 and drive the latter untilthe engine is started.

The moment the engine is started and operating under its own power thespur gear 14 and springs 20 will throw the pinion 19 out of mesh andback to its normal position, it being understood that in the ensuingtime that the dog 26 has been4 disengaged from the pin 29 as shown inFig. 3. This motor has a shaft 12 on which a driv- The plunger 28extends up from the recess 23 through an opening 33 in the housing 16and through the upper and lower flanges 34, 35 of a bracket 36, andinside of the bracket and surrounding the plunger is a tension spring 37that is seated on a washer 38 supported on a pin 39 that passes throughthe plunger between the` lower flange 34 and washer 38.

The pedal 31 includes an adjustable push bar 40 that has its lower endconnected by a pin 41 to a flange 42 on the bracket 36, and the upperend of this bar extends through the floor board 43 of an automobilefragmentally indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, and on the upper end of thebara pedal head 44 is secured in position to be engaged by the foot of thecar driver.

The liange 35 is arranged to engage a flexible insulatlng bar 45 that issupported by the spring contact 32 so that when the pedal is actuatedthe contact 32 will be moved to engage the contact 33 and thereby startthe motor at about the time the pinion begins to mesh with the spurgear, as previously stated.

The urpose of the bracket and near associate parts is to permit themotor to be started so that in the event the pinion is arranged in aposition in which the points of its teeth will contact with the pointsof the teeth of the ring spur gear 14 so that they cannot mesh the motorwill turn the pinion so that a proper meshing is accomplished.

The motor 10,`is driven in the usual way. A contact 46 is secured to anextension 47 of the spring contact 32 and is in circuit with a battery,not shown, through a wire 48. When lle llo

engagement `With the contact 33 the motor l l be started andsimultaneously the pinion 19 will b'e meshed with the spur gear 44 torotate it and start the'engine; and also coincident with the meshing ofthe pinion with the spur gear the dog 26 will be'fdis'engaged from thein 29 so that the pinion can be moved bac to normal position as soonv asthe engine starts and throws it out of mesh with the spur gear. It isunderstood that when the pinion is in mesh with the spur gear and isdriving by the driving gear of the motor that it is held in mesh by theaction of the driving gear until thrown out bythe starting of the enine, and when thrown out can continue to rotated bythe motor until thepedal is released.

In the modified form of engine starter shown in Figs. 6 to 10 theoperation of the apparatus is substantially the saine as the starterhereinbefore described.

In, the modified formthe dog 126 is shown pivotally connected to the arm17 instead of the plunger 28. That is the dog126 is pivotally connectedto the upper side of the arm 17 by a pin 49 extending throughthe-,extension 50. g

The upper endV of the dog is forked, having the prongs 51, 52 arrangedoppositely on a guide pin 53 secured in the housing 16. The

prongs are yieldingly held in positon onthe guilde pin 53 by a plug 54that is pressed outwardly against the dog by a spring 55.

Tle prong 51 is arranged so that it is normally engaged by the lower endof the plunger 28, which parts are arranged so that the plunger slipsoii' of the prong 51 when the pinion 19fhas been moved into mesh withthe ring spur gear 14; and the forked end of the dog isconstructed andarranged so that the pinion can be thrown out of the way by the spurgear r14 when the engine starts operating on its own power, aspreviously de scribed. v

If desired the stop pins 24, \can be dispensed with by recessing thehousing 16, as

at 56, Figs. 6 and 7 for the extension 57 on the arm 17 so that the ends58, 59 of the recess 56-function as stops to limit the movement of thepinion toward or from the spur gear 1 4. Also in the formv of startershown in Figs. 1 to 5 the block 17 can be provided'with guide pins 60for guiding thedog 26. The spring 20 may be omitted if desired and leavethe spring 55 alone to perform its duty.

In operation the pedal 31 is actuated -to close the circuit between thecontacts 32, 33 and ymove the pinion 19 in an arc-into mesh with thering spur gear 14and is held in mesh by the driving action of the drivegear 13 until the engine starts operation under its own power, afterwhich the pinion is thrown backinto its normal position by the spur gear14 "and is held there by the spring 20 v until the pedal is a ainactuated.

use in airplanes where the mechanism is not normally horizontal, as inautomobiles or marine engines, or may assume any position rela# tive to'the horizontal osition. This is because all parts are positively orforcibly actuated and will operate in their predestined way regardlessof gravity.

lAlso. in this starter the pinion 19 is not moved into workingengagement with the fly-wheel -14 or rotatlve part of the en 'ne by theelectric motor, but, on the other andA it is forcibly and personallymoved b the operator into starting position and t e means for moving thedriving pinion 19 intov starting position also causes the electric motorto start. Therefore, it isimpossible for the electric motor to start byaccident and thus cause difficulty. If it were to start byaccident itwould merely turn the pnions 13 and 19, as

shown in Fig. 2, but would have noeifect on the engine. This issveryimportant, particularly 1iny airplanes where such accidental starting ofthe electric motor might be fatal.

The invention claimed is: 1. A starter for an internal combustion enginehaving a rotative element including a pinion, an arm upon 'which it ismounted that is pi-votally mounted 'at one end so that the pinion may bemoved into and' out of engagement with said rotative element, pedalactuated means for vpositively moving said arm and pinionintoengagement, said means including a pedal actuated plunger, a dogfulcrumedat one end to said arm and having a projection at the other endladapted to be engaged by said plunger and pushed thereby for moving thearm and pinion into engagement with the said rotative element and thenthe plunger into further movement to disenga/ge said dog so that the armand pinion may be returned'to normal position out of engagement withsaid rotative element. v

' 2. A starter for an internal combustion engine having a rotativeelement'including a pinion, an arm upon which it is mounted that ispivotally mounted at one end so that the pinion may be moved vinto andout of engagement with said rotative element, pedal actugage said dog sothat the arm and pinion may be returned to normal position out ofengagement with said rotative element, and a stationary guide pin forguiding the end of 5 the dog having said projection during the movementsthereof. 3. A starter for an internal combustion engine having arotative element includn a inion, an arm upon which it is mounted t atlo is pivotally mounted .at one end so that the pinion may be moved intoand out of engagement with said rotative element, pedal actuated meansfor positively moving said arm and pinion into engagement with saidrotative element, said means including a pedal actuated plunger, a dogfulcrumed at one end to said arm and having a projection at the otherend adapted to be engaged by said plunger and pushed thereby for movingthe arm and pinlon into en agement with the said rotative element anthen to disengage saiddog so that the arm and pinion may be returned tonormal position out of engagement with said rotative element, astationary guide pin for guiding the end of the dog having saidprojection during the movements thereof, and aspring sup rted pin insaid arm against which said og bears between its ends, substantially asset forth.

4. A starter for an internal combustion engine having a rotative elementincluding an electric driven gear, a driving pinion, an arm on which thepinion is mounted at one end and which arm is'oscillatable on the axisof said gear, and holds the pinion in constant mesh therewith, pedalactuated means for positively moving said arm and pinion into engagementwith said rotative element, said means including a pedal actuatedplunger, va

40 dog fulcrumed at one end to said arm near the axis of said pinion andhaving a projection at its other end adapted to be engaged by saidplunger and pushed thereby for moving the arm and pinion into engagementwith said rotative element and then to disengag said dog so that the armand pinion may returned to normal position out of engagement with saidrotative element, a stationary guide pin for engaging the end of the doglia-ving said projection and holding it after its actuation, and aspring supported pin located in said arm nearer the axis of saidelectric driven gear than the axis of the ivot of said dog to said armand against whic pin said dog bears between its ends, substantially asset forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto ailixcd my signature. j

VERA C. HODGES.

